Two-color lap stripe mechanism



' June 23, 1936. g, L, GETA 1 2,045,459

TWO- COLQR LAP STRIPE MECHANISM Filed April 2, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 1 F W- \\w if ZZ l fl I 29 a I t 7 9 2. ,za 7 5 [WW 'UU ALL NEEDLES INVENTOR JAMES L. GETAZ T Q- WW I June 23, 1936. J. GETAZ TWO-COLOR LAP STRIPE MECHANISM Filed April 2, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 '5 1' INVENTOR JAMES GETAZ Q In: aiZoz-neys Fig-4- June 23, 1936. J. GETAZ TWO-COLOR LAP STRIPE MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 U ML .w

1 ES Z QHHHI Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES TWO-COLOR LAP STRIPE MECHANISM James L. Getaz, Maryville, Tenn., assignor to Scott & Williams, Incorporated, New York,

N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts -;Application Ap'riL-Z, 1931, Serial No. 527,269 I 1 Claim. (Cl. 66-135) This invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to circular knitting machines adapted to make patterns by lapping plating threads around selected needles. One

6 object of the invention is to so improve the mechanism for making the so-called lap stripe pattern that a greatlyincreased variety of patterns can be produced. In machines of this type the lap stripes are put in by a plurality of pattern yarn fingers revolving about a common axis, each finger also oscillating about an individual pivot point and the path of the feeding ends of the yarn fingers intersecting the needle circle. an object of this invention to provide means for selectively wrapping at one wrapping point each yarn of a plurality of yarns simultaneously fed to that wrapping point about a group of one or more needles selected from a plurality of such groups of needles raised at that wrapping point by needle selecting means, such groups of needles being selected fromthe segment of needles comprising all needles which might-be wrapped by such yarns at that wrapping point at one time and such yarns and groups of needles being associated in the formation of stripes and pattern figures at that'wrapping point. It is also anobject of this invention to feed such yarns at different elevations and to elevate each group of needles to an elevation corresponding to the elevation of the yarn by which the group of needles is wrapped. It is also an object of this invention to provide in a knitting machine of the type described pattern yam fingers each of which selectively wraps a plurality of separate yarns about selected groups of needles. 1

The invention is shown embodied in the well known Scott 8; Williams type of revolving needle cylinder seamless hosiery machine.

In the drawingsp v Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of the head of a Scott & Williams machine in which one form of this invention has been embodied.

Figure 2 is a view, substantially on the line 2-2 4 of Fig. 1 showing in plan view the pattern yarn It is also fingers and the cams operating them, the pattern within the needle circle and wrapped about the group of needles raised to the greater elevation; and Figure 5 showing in lowered position the group of needles first wrapped, the yarnof lesser elevation retired within the needle circle and wrapped about the group of needles of lesser elevation.

Figures 6, 'l, and 8 are diagrammatic-viewsin plan showing the relative positions of a pattern yarn finger, the yarns carried thereby and the 10 associated groups of needles during the wrapping of the yarns about the groups of needlesi Figure 6 showing the groups of needles raised as in Figure 4 and both yarns outside of the circle of needles; Figure"? showing the group of needles of greater l5 elevation lowered as in Figure 5, the inner yarn or yarn of greater elevation inside and the outer yarn or yarn of lesser elevation outside the circle of needles; and Figure 8 showing both groups of needles lowered and both yarns inside the circle 20 of needles, the pattern yarn finger being shown in broken lines to .show the other parts more clearly;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view, drawn to a larger scale, showing the operation of the guide 25 on the pattern yarn finger, which deflects the yarn from the short feed tube so as to cause it to pass beneath the'long feed tube. f

Figures 10 and 11 are views in plan and front elevation respectively of a modified construction 60 of yarn finger, the position of the actuating cam being indicated in broken lines in Figure 10.

This invention is shown in the drawings embodied in a circular knitting machine having a revolving needle cylinder 26!], carried on a bed- 3 plate (not shown), the needles n being independent of each other and vertically movable in slots im the needle cylinder as usual. There are the usual inside sinker ring 291, outside sinker cam cap (not shown) 'a d latch ring 550 with the 40 usual throat plate (not shown) over which the body or ground yarns arefed as usual by the mainyarn fingers. .In the "machine shown in the drawings there is a yarn shear plate 26 inside the needle circle, this plate being carried in a non-revoluble manner by a bracket H) on the latch ring 550. On the plate a'yarn cutter and clamp 609 can be mounted if desired. The latch ring 550 is pivoted on a bracket at the rear of the machine as usual. The bracket I5 also serves 1 to support a long vertical tube 22 for the yarns and which, in this example, is 'eccentrically mounted with relation to "the center of the needle cylinder 260. The tube 22 carries the pattern yarn fingers 24 and extends from a point opposite the inside sinker ring 291 to a level well above the bracket l5, there being a bobbin stand on its upper end with the pattern yarn bobbins mounted thereon as shown in my Patent #1,89l,204, issued Dec. 13, 1932.

The tube 22 and pattern yarn bobbins and fingers 24 are revolved in unison with the needle cylinder by suitable mechanism. Where the tube 22 passes the bracket l5 it has a horizontal bevel gear 9 keyed to it by a spline g the gear 9 being driven as shown in my Patent No. 1,891,204.

The pattern yarn fingers 24 are supported by a plate 23 underlying them and fixed on the lower end of the tube 22. Each pattern yarn finger is pivotally mounted on a stud or pin 30 secured in the plate 23 and projecting above the upper surface thereof, the upper surface of the pin being flush with the upper surface of its finger 24. The outer ends 28 of the fingers 24 are the feeding ends and are curved backward, that is, assuming the common support 23 turns in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 2 and 3, the feeding ends 28 are bent in a clockwise direction. The tails of the fingers 24 have pins or studs 29 projecting upwardly from them and the tails are nearly at right angles to the bodies of the fingers 24. Each stud 29 is very much closer to its pivot 30 than is the-feeding end 28 of the same finger 24 and is so located that when the finger 24' is crossing the needle circle or moving along the outside of the circle, practically the entire movement of the stud 29 with respecttotheneedle circle is radial. Thus in Figure 2 the stud 29 of the finger 24 at point C is just crossing out over the circle formed by the pivots 30 of the fingers 24 as the feeding end 28 ofthe finger moves back along the outside of 'the needle circle. This oscillation of the pin 29 in the region of the circle described bythe pivots 30 makes it possible to operate the fingers 24 by cam means which extend radially outward beyond the pivots 38 of the fingers 24. As part of these meansthere is an upper fixed oval cam disc 25 overlying the fingers 24 and held against rotation byscrews 25a and 25b (Figures 2 and 3). The cam disc 25 lies in the plane of the studs or pins 29 in the of the fingers 24 and forces the pins 29 outward during part of each revolution of the machine, To hold the pins 29 against the edge of thecam disc 25 at all times a spring band 2lis provided though it will be obvious that other suitable means could be provided. The cam disc 25 and the eccentricity, with respect to the needle circle, of the axis about which. the .fingers; 24 revolve cause the movements of the feeding ends 28 of the fingers 24 over theneedle circle to wrap the yarns. It will be noted that, in the example shown, movement of a pin 29. radially inward moves the feeding end 28 of a finger 24 forward relatively to the needles or in a counter-clockwise direction; that movement of a pin radially outward causes movement backward relatively to the needles or in a clockwise direction; and that these movements of the pin 29 together with the eccentric mounting of the fingers 24,,with respect to the needle circle cause the movements of the ends of the fingers 24 across the needle circle. when it is desired to cease patterning, the oscillation of the fingers 24 about their pivots 20 is stopped by manipulatingthe oval cam disc-50 underlying the dia: 25 and overlying the fingers 24 and, in effect, forming with the disc 25 a split cam. The disc 50 is pivoted on the screw 25b and when swung toward thefclosest point of approach of the support plate" toethe needle circle a a' and b, are at different elevations.

ofiers a high face to the pins 29 of the fingers 24 at that point thus pushing the pins 29 out and causing the feeding ends 28 of the fingers 24 to remain inside the needle circle as shown in Figure 3. The positioning of the fingers 24 in-' side the needle circle at this point stops all wrapping of the pattern yarns. The manipulation of the disc 50 can be efiected by operating the rod 482 as shown in my Patent No. 1,891,204.

In feeding the yarns through the tube 22 it is preferable to feed the yarns through separate passages formed by placing in the tube 22 a filler 52 whose surface contains a separate longitudinal groove 5| for the yarns for each finger. The yarns are thenthreaded from the bottom of the tube 22 to the upper sides of the feeding ends 22 of the fingers 24 as shown in Figure 1.

The needles which are to be wrapped can be raised vertically by any suitable'means, but it will be noted, as shown in Figures 4 r nd 5 that the needles which are to be wrapped at any one point are not all elevated to the same extent but are divided into groups which are raised to different elevations above the needles which are not to be wrapped. In Figures 4 and 5 the needles which are .to be wrapped are shown divided into two groups which are raised to different elevations,

- the needles d of one group being raised to the greater elevation and the needles e of the other group being raised to a lesser elevation above the needles f which are not to be wrapped and are left at the usual elevation. While'the needles 8 of one group are shown divided and placed on opposite sides'of needles d of the other group. and

each group is shown as comprising a plurality of tubesa' and b which project different distances 45.

downwardly from the finger 24 so that the yarns, as drawn away from the bottoms of the feed tubes' The difierence in the elevations of the yarns of each finger 24 corresponds to the difference in the elevations of the groups of needles associated with that finger 24, the yarn fed from eye a and tube a being at an elevation to wrap the needles 6 of the group of needles of greater elevation and being high enough to pass above the needles e of the other group. The yarn fed from eye I: and tube b is fed at such an elevation as to wrap the needles e of the other group which are at a lesser elevation than the needles d. While the preferred construction in which each yarn finger 60. is pro gided with a plurality of yarn feeding eyes hasbeen shown and described it is to be understood that each yarn feeding eye can be formed on a separate yarn finger as shown in Figs. 10

and 11 and the fingers associated and so operated 85 as to obtain the results produced with a plurality of eyes formed on a single yarn finger and that in its broadest aspect this invention comprises the selective wrapping of a plurality of pattern yarns simultaneously fed to a single wrapping point about selected groupsof needles at that wrapping n I As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a yarn finger 24' is mounted on a pivot 20' carried by the support plate 23antl is provided with-a pin 29' for A counter-clockwise around a revolution of the by'the cam disc 25 as the finger 24 moves forward enga ing the cam discs 25 and 50 and with a yarn which causes the feeding end 28 of the finger 24 to feeding eye b, yarnguide b and inclined guide 88-. Also mounted on the. pin 30 above the yarn finger 24' is a second yarn finger 24" provided with a-pin 29" for engaging the cam discs 25 and "and with a yarn feeding eye it and a yarn guide a. In this construction the yarn guides and b are of sufllcient lengths to deliver yarns at the same heights as the guides a and b of Figures 4 and 5 and the" slight spacing of the pins 28' and 29" does not effect the wrapping operation. by

The operation of this device is, in general, as described in,my copending application Serial No. 472,354 except as regards the feeding of the yarns bythe fingers 24. At .the point A of Figure 2 where the yarn finger 24 is wholly within the needle circle it will be noted that each yarn goes from the feeding end 28 of the yarn finger 24 to the the last needle of the group that yarn wrapped in'ihe previously knit course. Following the associated groups of selected needles from the point machine in Figure 2 it is seen that as the finger 24 travels the pin 29 comes to a portion of the cam disc 25 which does not project over the pivot 30 of the finger 24 as much as at the point A. As the spring band 2! retains the pin 29 in engagement with the cam disc 25, the feeding end 28 of the finger 24 travels forward past the needles to which its yarns are attached and simultaneously the feeding end 28 of the finger 24 approaches and crosses the needle circle. The relation of the eyes a and b and the feeding end 28 to the rest of the yarn finger 24 is such that the eye b crosses the needle circle before the eye a and both eyes a and b cross the needlecircle in advance of the raised associated groups of needles d and e as shown at B and B in Fig. 2. The pin 28 under the pressure of the spring band 21 reachest its furthest point radially inward with relation to the circle described by the individual pivots 88 after the feeding end 28 'of the yarn finger 24 has carried both eyes a and b across the needle circle in advance of the groups of needles d and e. The pin 29 is thereafter forced outwardly with respect tothe circle of the pivots 30 travel backwardly toward the groups of needles (I and e and inwardly toward the needle circle. This movement of the dimer 24 is continued 5 bringing the eye a back across the needle circle and to the rear of the group .of needles 01 thus wrapping the yarn about the group of needles d. The yarn fed through eye a and tube a, it will be noted, is attoo high an elevation to engage with the needles e ofthe other group.

As soon as the eye a. has been retired across the needle circle and before the eye b is so retired, the needles it about which. the yarn fed by the eye a has been wrapped are lowered by suitable opcrating means to the level of the needles I which are not to be wrapped and are out of the way of I the yamfed by the eye b. Further movement of the finger 24 about the cam disc 25 brings the eye b in the feeding end 28 of the finger 24 back across the needle circle and in the rear of the needles c, thus bringing the yarn fed by the eye b into a difierent wrapping relation with the selected needles from that resulting from the movement of the yarn fed by the eye a and wrapping the yarn fed by the eye b about the other or lower group of needles e. During further movement of the finger 24 to the starting point A the feeding end 28 of the finger 24 is held within the needle circle by the cam disc 25. During the movement 30 of the yarn finger from the point C to the point A the eye'b with'its longer feed tube b crosses the yarn fed from the eye a and feed tube a at an elevation above the bottom of the feed tube b'. In order to prevent' the yarn-fed from the eye a. catching on the feed tube b the yarn finger 24 is provided with an inclined guide 60 which serves to depress the yarn fed from the eye a so that it will pass beneath the feed tube b.

I'claim- 40 In a knitting machine, a pattern yarn finger mounted for oscillatory movement in a horizon-- tal plane and having a plurality of yarn feeding eyes at the feeding end thereof feeding yams at different elevations.

' JAMES L.. GETAZ. 

